Digital signs are increasingly replacing traditional paper-based signs, such as posters, painted billboards, and light boxes. There are many reasons why this switch to digital signs is taking place. For example, prices for display configurations capable of showing digital content have dropped considerably over the years and continue to fall. Moreover, the cost, time delay, and inconvenience of distributing printed material have been steadily increasing due to, for example, rising fuel costs and worsening traffic conditions in many cities. Furthermore, capturing and holding the attention of consumers now often requires the use of animated graphics, sound, and even three-dimensional (“3D”) content, and the most convenient and often the only way to achieve this is through the use of digital signs and digital content. In addition, the waste associated with the use of printed material runs counter to current trends in environmental protection that emphasize the limited use of paper products.
As advertisements are shown on a digital sign, there will inevitably be instances when some people passing by or stopping in front of the digital sign will desire more information about the products or services being advertised. For example, some people may want to know a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) that points to a file at a certain domain related to the advertised product or service, a phone number that can be used to order a product or talk to a service representative, a physical or electronic mail address of the company advertising on the digital sign, the model number of the product being advertised on the digital sign, or other types of information. Similarly, companies advertising on the digital sign may want to provide additional information or promotional opportunities to potential customers, such as a promotional coupon, a rebate, an access token, text describing the product or service in greater detail, or other information.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.